Bushido Ninjas?
by Ramica
Summary: What does bushido have to do with ninja? Isn't bushido the code of the samurai? Maybe and maybe not. Ninja and Samurai history in a short turtle tale.


**Bushido Ninjas?**

**Disclaimer:** I deny any ownership of adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Rated T**- for some bits of ninja and Samurai history.

**Author's note:** Only in the newer version of the TMNT cartoons are the turtle boys connected to Bushido. In fact I've never heard of ninja following Bushido -and I've read numerous books on ninja by ninja. So this is a little story about Bushido, Samurai and Ninja. Hope you enjoy.

Mike scowled as he picked up the remote and clicked off the television, a look of disgust was on his face as he tossed the remote back onto the coffee table. "I can't believe it," he complained, "I don't mind these cartoons about us, it's kinda cool and all but how, do they get away with saying we are into Bushido, or follow the path of Bushido? We aren't Samurai. We are **ninja."** Mike announced the last word with great pride as he puffed out his chest a bit.

"You can't believe cartoons Mike," Don replied easily from where he sat reading a book, "besides I guess they feel that Samurai and Ninja are much the same, and considering how movies used to depict ninja as being bad and evil, or inept I'd rather be connected to the Samurai."

Leo looked up where he was polishing his swords, "Bushido is about honour, frugality and there are concepts of it, that are similar to what Ninja are taught." He pointed out.

"Oh come on Leo Ninja are like Robin Hood and the Samurai was the unlawful king's henchmen." Mike snorted. "It was the Ninja who protected the peasants in time of need."

"Well the Samurai were loyal to the ruler of the land," Leo allowed, " they were very much like the knights of old. Some of them would even commit Seppuku to follow their leader in death."

Raph snorted as he entered the living room from the kitchen, "Jus, how many Knights lopped off a person's head when the peasant didn't bow to em, or just to see how their new _soul _was doin."

Leo nodded grimly, it was true that the ancient Samurai was loyal to a fault to their King or daimyo of the land. If the King was fair and just then that was fine for the poor underclass society. But if the ruler was not the poor suffered badly.

It was also known that the Samurai believed their swords were their soul and they would test out new blades on those not worthy of the samurai class. The samurai would use their new blade by killing a passer by or some dog on the road, just to see how well their new sword worked. They were also known to use their sword on peasants who did not bow to them.

"I'm not defending all aspect of the Samurai life," Leo countered, "merely stating that there are some aspects that are similar or we could be a part of. That is if we weren't better then Samurai," he grinned. "Their code of honour and their skill in battle, was exceptional. I mean their code of honour kept the Samurai from doing many things, so they had to hire someone who could do the job."

Raph, Mike and Don all laughed, "NINJA!" they roared.

"What I don' get though is how the code honour allowed them to kill an innocent who didn't pay em respect, but kept em from sneakin into an enemy stronghold to kill a person out right."

"That is just it Raph, the peasant I guess were expected to show respect to the Samurai, as he was an extension of the ruler of the land. The Samurai probably felt if the peasant didn't bow the respect was not offered to the daimyo either," Don hazard. "While sneaking in to kill a person while they slept went against all kinds of honour codes, and so, if it needed done and the only way to do it without breaking their code of honour was by hiring ninja, so be it."

"That's still a pretty messed up honour system," Raph remarked dryly. "Not to mention the fact that the moment the peasants tried to strike a Samurai their lives were ovah, quite liter'lly."

Mike grinned, "Which is why the peasants relied on ninja to protect them they'd go to the holy shrines and beg protection, praying for it and asking all the monks telling them of their problems, and at night the ninja would come to them."

"Ninjas the Masters of disguise would attack anywhere, at any place or time. They could be dressed as peasants in the field working with the simple tools of lowly farmers, for no peasant was allowed a weapon as fine as a sword," Leo said, he looked at his own weapons well polished and sharpened. He grinned reminiscently, "Remember all the stories Splinter used to tell us about Ninja and Samurai? The Ninja was always able to out smart the Samurai like in the tale Death by Sword. "

"Yeah, they were some of the **best** bedtime stories. I loved '_The Warning,' _and the story of the ruling lord who never went anywhere without his bodyguard Samurai, even having one guard him while he slept and somehow, one night, the night time Samurai guard and the ruling lord ended up dead."

"Samurai feared the Ninja!" Raph grinned, " they seemed all powerful and strong, but the Ninja could seem to make them weak."

Splinter entered the room and looked around, "What are you talking about my sons?"

"Samurai, Bushido and Ninja," Leo replied honestly, as he resheathed his weapons, "not to mention the stories you used to tell us of all those things."

"Sometimes it was easier to teach you of the ninja's history through stories." Splinter replied as he moved to his chair, "The stories of the Hattori clan who started ninjitsu, they learned the art from mountain priests in the Iga mountain range, were some of the earliest stories you all learned."

"Ninja are better then Samurai though right Master?" Mike inquired quickly, almost eagerly.

"The ninja and the Samurai are different sorts of warriors Michelangelo. The Samurai was trained to fight from an early beginning much as Ninja were. But the Ninja were trained to use all of their being," Splinter replied, "it made them better warriors for they were trained physically and mentally. The Ninja pushed, to the extreme, the very limits of their abilities, they developed their senses to the point that they felt a part of the land, not the ruler of it. As part of the land they could feel when things were wrong or out of balance."

Leo nodded, "Not to mention the Ninja was not above using other tricks like slight of hand, disguise and almost parlour magician like tricks to confuse the enemy."

Splinter glanced at Leonardo, "Know your enemy and you know yourself. Use your enemies weakness against him, these are valuable lessons in any martial art school."

"Yeah but those magic tricks really fooled some people back then and made Ninja seem all the more terrifying. After all an enemy that could turn into a bird and fly off" Mike laughed, "now that was magic and great sorcery."

"Now a days it would take far more then that to bluff people." Don stated, "a bird hidden in some small bag or cage in a bush where the Ninja hides, to elude capture and releases the beast, just wouldn't work with today's technology."

Raph snorted, "Says the guy wit da pigeon puppet."

Don shrugged, "Well it works, especially in New York. Different bird, different time, still a Ninja trick."

"Ninja must be adaptable and change with the times," Splinter agreed, "Or they would not have lasted as many years as they had. Remember Norbunga just about killed all the Ninja in 1581."

The boys shifted they recalled that story for a long time General Norbunga Oda and his Samurai had been at war with the Iga provinces Ninja. Norbunga had been unseated from his horse while traveling through the Iga area late one night, and blamed the ninja.

So Norbunga had sent his son Katsuyori to attack the ninja stronghold. In the battle of Tensho Iga no Ran in the year 1579, Katsuyori and his Samurai were soundly defeated by the ninja.

Infuriated at the defeat Norbunga retaliated this time leading a massive invasion into Iga, in the year 1581. The ninja badly out numbered -more then ten to one had been killed.

Mike shifted uneasily, "Norbunga killed everyone children and women too. Only a few Ninja escaped and went into hiding."

"What kinda honour was that?" Raph muttered shaking his head.

"Honour my son depends on who wields it. A ninja seeks balance, sometimes to bring about the balance it means killing a person, or doing something else that some would find very dishonourable." He pointed out. "Many people of the Western world do not understand that honour can be found in seppuku, and yet both ninja and Samurai follow it. Both ninja and Samurai could be good or bad, going against their clan or lords. The Ninja however felt that if he used his skills or powers for great wrong would lose his powers entirely."

Splinter paused and looked at each of his sons, "I have tried to teach you certain things that I hold strongly too, such as all life is valuable, and to protect those who need it, to stand up for what is right. To never steal, but at the same time we have stolen, we have taken lives, we have done things that would make us criminals in the eyes of others, some would say we have no honour."

All the boys nodded understanding, there were certain documents that often had to be removed, if only because to leave those documents in place could endanger all of their lives. There were some people -like the Foot or other enemies who were so persistent that they had to be killed. In short they were criminals, though they did their best to work on the side of the law, to a certain extent at any rate.

"My sons what I'm trying to say, is that we may not be any more honourable then the Samurai of old. Only we can decide what honour we have, or are able to give in any situation," Splinter smiled, "All I have ever asked of you, is that you act with honour in all things and in that you do me proud."

Mike grinned, "I guess a ninja connected to Bushido isn't so bad."

Splinter laughed, "Bushido is a code of honour you follow that you follow Bushido. After all Bushido is not just for Samurai."

The end.


End file.
